Boston University

Kilachand Hall

Project at a Glance
Location

Boston, MA

Architect

Finegold Alexander

Project Type

Renovation
Restoration

Project Overview

  • Interior and exterior renovation to an outdated high-rise residence hall including bathroom upgrades, ADA accessibility improvements and a full gut renovation of the top floor
  • Building will remained partially occupied throughout the duration of the work
  • Comprehensive pre-construction services included summer exploratory work to inspect and document existing conditions

Renovation and restoration of Kilachand Hall, a nine-story historic residence hall in the heart of BU’s urban campus that also serves as the home for the Kilachand Honors College. Originally built in the 1920s as a hotel and converted to a residence hall in the 1960s, the scope of work included significant façade upgrades, installation of new elevators and egress stairs, complete lobby and bathroom renovations and the transformation of the ninth floor into a multi-purpose collaboration and function space overlooking the Charles River. The entire ninth floor was demolished down to its steel frame and rebuilt with several structural modifications.

Extensive exploratory work was completed during the summer months leading up to the start of the renovations. During this time, multiple crews conducted reviews of the building’s windows, lintels and façade, utilizing a full scaffolding system. Additionally, multiple test pits were dug to confirm location and elevation of existing utilities as well as drain connection and inverts around the building. On the interior, each dorm room and bathroom was evaluated to coordinate exhaust upgrades and improvements.

The project was designed and built to LEED Gold certification per LEED v4 standards and features a new stormwater recharge system.